New LFC Manager, Nigeria President Not Happy, Ashley Cole Hates England, & More!

Chris Toy from Studs Up gives us a great depiction of what most football/soccer fans around the world felt as we woke up this morning with his new comic Unacceptable.

Roy Hodgson = Liverpool FC's new boss. Picture this but in a Liverpool jacket.

Yesterday the rumor mill was churning with loads of gossip about Roy being put in the captains seat and today was the official announcement and he will be appointed on Thursday according to BBC Sport. He will be replacing Rafa Benitez who took over for Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. It's manager musical chairs this summer. There are some mixed reactions to Roy being named boss. Paul Tomkins of The Tomkins Times based in Liverpool, UK has a great piece on what Hodgson is walking into. Former footballer Peter Beardsley was hoping for Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish to take over as manager. Kenny may have been the most financially smart choice for Liverpool seeing as the club are in debt up to 226 million pounds. LFC secured Hodgson for 8 million pounds, not exactly a sale price. Kenny also has had a stellar record with Liverpool as manager from 1985-1991 boasting a great record (G:297, W:180, L:41, D:76), that is a win percentage of 60.6%. He also won manger of the year three times, wont he league three times (runner-up twice), won the FA Cup twice, and the Charity Shield twice. Now thats a great resume. Put those aside and he already has the trust of the players and the fans.

Now Roy has done some good things as well. He managed to save Fulham from the drop in in the last game of the 2007-2008 season with a come from behind 3-2 win over Manchester City. The proceeding year he brought Fulham to their highest finish ever in the Premier League, 7th, and you can't forgot the amazing Europa League run of this past season that earned him the Manager of the Year award.

I am very excited to see a new manager at Liverpool and can only hope he turns their fortunes around. I'm not expecting them to win the league net year but a top four finish would be great. He has a great starting eleven and with an influx of some cash, hopefully he can bolster the strike force the left side of the midfield. Come on Roy!

He is hoping to lure Joe Cole to Anfield. - Caught Offside -

Since this is a big day for the Reds, Here is a great video from BBC Sport about the history behind the Kop.

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The president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, gave his country's national team a low blow. He suspended the team from international play for two years. Why? Well because of their poor showing at the World Cup. Presidential adviser Ima Niboro gave this statement.

"This directive became necessary following Nigeria's poor performance in the ongoing World Cup."

They also released a statement apologizing to all football loving Nigerians. I can't believe they would do something like this. If this is what Nigeria does, I can't imagine what North Korea and Kim Jong Il are going to do.

FIFA has rules about political interference with football, here is there statement.

"At the time of writing, we have no official information on this matter," a Fifa statement read.

"However, in general, Fifa's position regarding political interference in football is well known. Our statutes do not allow for any political interference."

It will be interesting to see where this goes. Sepp should drop the hammer and hopefully restore some football for Nigeria.

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Photos of Tottenham's new home shirt have been leaked, it's made by Puma and I love it. - Who Ate All The Pies.

The Sun reports that Ashley Cole isn't very keen about England and it's people. Cole was on his Blackberry before heading to the World Cup. Probably not the best thing to do since England's performance in the southern hemisphere was awful. Here is the message.  

FLOP Ashley Cole sent a disgraceful message to pals days before flying out to the World Cup - snarling: "I hate England and the f***ing people!"

After he returned from South Africa he defended himself with this stunner.

"I always try my hardest for England and Chelsea but the intrusion and pressure I feel is making my life hell."

Ashley, maybe you shouldn't have cheated on her-hottness ex-wife Cheryl for a former lapdancer. Karma really isn't being nice to you man.

Yes Please!

Paraguayan fan and lingerie model Larissa Riquelme promises to strip if her home team raises the World Cup trophy on July 11th. Lets go Paraguay!

South Park Germany tribute video!

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Man City finally agree on a deal with Valencia for David Silva - BBC Sport - What a great signing. Man City are going to be insane. The "Big Four" is going to be in shambles. Finally.

City were also impressed by Landon Donovan in the World Cup - Mirror -

Real Madrid are hoping for both Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole - Daily Mail -

Gary Neville is set to retire and officially become the next pundit at Sky Sports. - Mirror -

Chelsea to separate from John Terry? - Deadspin -

Kaka campaigns against prostitution. - Dirty Tackle - I love the Comic Sans sign.

Xavi = small person - Kickette -

Fifa Mishaps and Other World Cup and Footy News

Landon Donovan's expression right in that picture sums up my feelings for the weekends matches. For the second straight World Cup the U.S. gets ousted by Ghana. I can only wonder how many headlines across the United States had headlines like, "The US is a Ghan-a!" Although I am extremely saddened by their exit, their performance in the tournament has been the best, in terms of team spirit and fight. We made our goal of getting out of our group and we did it the grittiest way we could I think. I wish our strikers could have made more of an impact, they scored zero goals the whole tournament. Landon Donovan came through huge and should be proud of himself. I think he is our team's MVP. My unsung hero for team USA was Benny Feilhaber. The guy was everywhere on the field and created chance after chance. He was the proverbial spark that helped the US get over the hump when they needed it most. With this push into the last 16, you can't argue the US team hasn't captured some interest of the nation, I mean it was the most watched soccer game in American history.

The other team I love to root for, because of their star power and because the biggest league in the world is played within their borders, England got slapped by Germany 4-1. Man what a heartbreaker that was. Some people may not like England but you have to admit, tournaments are much better with them than without them. How can referee Jorge Larrionda not see this ball cross the line?

Capello was even jumping up on the sidelines. More on this travesty and the response from Sepp Blatter below. If this was allowed, I strongly believe the game would not have ended the way it did. Some people say it would have ended 4-2 but I highly disagree with that. if the game is 2-2 going into halftime, the strategies from both teams would change and England would have had the momentum coming into the second half. I can't say England would have one the game but their chances would have risen considerably. At least we know Franz Beckenbauer is sleeping well at night.

The refereeing in this tournament has gone belly up since the first week. Come on FIFA, get some control over this. Aren't these suppose to be the best ref's in the biz? when a ref blows his whistle, shuoldn't there be a reason for it? What is this no call nonsense? Looks a lot like the NBA. 

After a heap of complaints from fans all over the globe, FIFA president Sepp Blatter is going to "re-open" the technology file for football. This comes after Frank Lampard's goal and Carlos Tevez's offside goal against Mexico. Sepp had this to say.

“It is obvious that after the experience so far in this World Cup it would be nonsense to not reopen the file of technology at the business meeting of the International FA Board in July,”

He also apologized to both nations.

“The only thing I can do is … [speak] to the two federations [England and Mexico] directly concerned by referee’s mistakes. I have expressed to them apologies and I understand they are not happy and that people are criticizing.”

Keep in mind, he sent out those apologies via Twitter.

SeppBlatter: My apology to England and Mexico, on reopening the use of technology and why we must support referees...

Sepp, looks like your open to modern technologies, maybe you should install some in football, not to eliminate the human aspect of it, but to help them when they clearly get something wrong.

Here is a picture of Carlos Tevez pretending to be onside.

I still don't want Brazil to win it all. I would really like to see them get knocked off by the Netherlands now that Robben seems to be fully fit. I don't have any picks to win it all, it's way to hard to tell. Uruguay is my dark horse, I love the pair of Forlan and Suarez up front.  If you have any favorites, please comment below.

Joachim Low is picking more than just the starting eleven for Germany.




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Jermaine Defoe and Wayne Rooney getting friendly before the Slovenia game.




Seven World Cup trophy's stolen? - The Spoiler -

Sepp Blatter threatens France with an international football suspension. - Guardian -

Rooney's chest waxing fails to give him World Cup success. - Dirty Tackle -

Landon Donovan's baby mama...from the UK?- Sports Illustrated -

English Tabloid headlines. - Deadspin -

Uruguay hold massive BBQ to help prepare for Ghana. - Dirty Tackle - 

Inter Milan's Mario Balotelli fires up Milan's streets with a toy gun - The Spoiler -

Frank Lampard picks up some vuvuzelas for the kiddies. - Who Ate All the Pies -

England merch liquidation in UK stores. - The Sun -

Woman shows off huge boobs as Italian fan gets interviewed - Deadspin -

Dream-Like Ending Brings US Top of Group C

I don't care who you are...you gotta love this.



I have seen this dozens of times already today and each time it sends shivers down my back and the hairs stand on my neck. This game was heart wrenching. All the chances we had to put it away early and to finally bag one....in the most dramatic of fashions...in extra time. YES!!! Landycakes comes up huge! The fight, the heart, the resilience, the US never quit, leaving everything on the field. I was preparing myself for coping with an early and disappointing early exit. The frustrations were huge and I couldn't believe we were about to get eliminated without even losing a game. That my friends...is how 1-0 can not be boring. Even Bill Clinton was there, sitting next to FIFA president Sepp Blatter. That should give him a boost in selling the US for the 2018/2022 World Cup.

The call from Ian Darke was classic. I loved how he shot down John Harkes when he chimed in during the celebration. Freaking brilliant. Man I haven't felt so pumped by a sport in a long time.

So we sit on top of Group C and wait for the 90 minutes in Group D's remaining games. Here's to not playing Germany.

Kudos to England today too. They looked very comfortable against Slovenia and I'm putting credit to the all red uniform. Here is the headline on The Sun's website

I am going to vent about one thing before I relay some footy links for your enjoyment. First, I would like to say I loved listening to Jim Rome back the US squad. He can't stand the sport but gave credit when credit was due. Secondly, and lastly,  my local sports radio station KFAN has a radio personality named Dan Cole who goes by The Common Man. I usually turn the dial when he comes on because he is an ignorant hypocrite and usually has nothing good to say anyways. I got in my car and turned the radio on only to hear him bashing the sport and not giving a shit the US had won that game. He couldn't even accept what the US had accomplished. Dude, I get that you don't like soccer, but at least get behind your country and fight the good fight. Quit being an ass, hassling Landon Donovan for tearing up and Lovelle Neil* because he almost cried for being so pumped about what just happened. If Brett Favre, Phil Mickelson, or Joe Mauer had some water works after a triumphant, big win, he would be praising them for the energy they left on the field of play, how inspiring it was, and "this is what competition is all about". Dan Cole is absolutely awful and I just wasted 5 minutes writing this.

Ok, all done.

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Algeria player smacks reporter after loss to US. - Yahoo -

Real Madrid give thumbs up to Ronaldo approved fluorescent underwear. - The Spoiler -

Cristiano Ronaldo's buck fuddy's - Deadspin -

David Villa Smacks Honduras, Literally, Sir Alex Comforts Wayne & More

David Villa had a near hat trick yesterday, adding to his spectacular goal tally for his country. He also backhanded a honduras defender right in the chops. Spain is waiting for a referee report to find out if he is going to be suspended or not. He had this to say about it courtesy of the BBC

"It's not something that I am proud of. They're just instincts, in this case I wasn't expecting [Izaguirre] to tread on me," Villa told Spanish broadcaster Canal Plus.

"I was merely standing there and the reaction was to stick my arm out. I'll try in future to keep my cool."

He was just reminding Honduras that he's David Villa and next time they get up in his grill, he's going to hit them with the golden boot that's waiting for him.

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 An article by Daniel Taylor from the Guardian  reports Sir Alex Ferguson called up Wayne Rooney to give him a pep talk. The Man U manager could sense the tension in the England camp and was felt bad for his star striker. So he called him up, whispered softly on the other line, and told him to "relax and enjoy it". The way England are playing, that should have been a conference call. I hope the talk with Papa Bear Ferguson sends Wayne on a goal scoring spree against Slovenia. The tournament needs a good thrashing from England. 

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Man City so far have thrown out a total of 56 million pounds for both Yaya Toure (Barcelona - 27m) and David Silva (Valencia - 29m) - Mirror (Yaya story) Daily Mail (Silva story) -

New Zealand's Shane Smeltz has been rocketed into stardom back home. - Pitch Invasion -

Gerard Pique is turning into a hockey player - Dirty Tackle -

Possible new Premier League jerseys? - EPLtalk -

Freddy Adu not invited to Aris Pre-Season trip. - MLS Insider -

Great World Cup Weekend & Other Footy News

The World Cup has officially busted wide open as I thought it would since the second group matches started. Those first games, I think, are more cautionary, feel-things-out, lets not make mistake games, which France missed the boat on completely. At least the players will get their wish and go home early and relax next to turquoise water.

I’m going to start off with the US v Slovenia game. I don’t honestly have much to say. After the first half finished up I was pissed, bummed, frustrated, and thought the tournament was dead for my home team. I went for a walk with my Germany supporter and came back to see a team that did a complete 180. That was the best, most inspiring, gritty half of soccer I have seen during the whole tournament. The sad thing is that it was taken away by a bush league invisible foul. Bruce McGuire from duNord has his theory on it. If we could just not let in early goals and get ourselves in situations like that, we would have been looking at three points and not so tense Wednesday morning.

What is happening with England? I didn’t get a chance to watch the match but I read several comments and articles. How can all of that talent not be able to put ANYTHING together? What happened to the England of the qualifying rounds? I can’t believe they don’t feel any pressure because the English media is a firestorm of negativity if England don’t win 6-0 every time they step on the field. I am really hoping for a win against Slovenia for the on Wednesday, I would hate to see England go home early because tournaments are always better when they are a part of it, whether they play good or bad.

Did anyone else see France’s implosion coming? I apologize to all the France supporters out there but watching this is so entertaining. They had no chance from the beginning of the tournament. I didn’t think they had a chance to get out of the group stage and it looks like my prediction is about to come true, why didn’t I put down some money on this? I could have been writing a thank you card to Raymond Domenech for paying my June mortgage. Why would he show Anelka the door  when the guy has over half of their shots? Hey Raymond, Anelka is trying to get your team points so you don’t go back to Paris early just to get run out of town when you get there. I know he was running his mouth about how Domenech is no good, but I think a better solution would be to just not start him in the next game. Raymond needs him. France needs him. What a mess.

Cameroon became the first nation to be officially eliminated from the tournament. They put up a great fight against Paraguay and I was pulling for them. Things aren’t really shaping up for any African sides, which is unfortunate. If they all go out, could it mean the end of the vuvuzela? Cameroon were followed by North Korea today. Jong Tae-se still hasn’t scored any goals which doesn’t make him look good to other people he made guarantees for. I don’t think any North Korean’s will be seeing the match they played against Portugal today.

This past weekend I ran in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in Duluth, MN. During that run I saw two sets of people with blowing vuvuzelas. They can't be stopped and I can't escape them. You can always count on Zidane to deal with those pesky horns.

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American fan killed and brother hospitalized. They need help getting back to America. - KATC -

FA expects Capello to leave if England doesn't get out of the group stage. - BBC Sport -

US fan watches the Slovenia game with Miss World contestants...bonus! - Deadspin -

Tim Howard loves that US fans are mad. - Dirty Tackle -

Iker Casillas shaves his beard in hopes to turn around Spain's fortunes. - Kickette -

Inside the daily life in England camp - Mirror -

Vancouver Whitecaps stadium tour - MLS Insider -

Great soccer podcasts - The Football Ramble -

First World Cup Hat Trick & Casillas's Lady Not Impressed

Gonzalo Higuain & Company made light work of South Korea and pretty much sealed Argentina's spot in the last 16. Higuain had his first World Cup hat trick and the first of this summers tournament. South Korea was really no match for the pass and move play of Argentina. Messi was a huge contributor to the success of Higuain today and because of Maradona's food request at their hotel, the goal scorer will probably make Lionel a nice ice cream sunday...or four. 

Today's action is lining up to be, in my opinion, some of the best action for a single day at the World Cup. Greece and Nigeria haven't been the prettiest thing to watch but the amount of chances, by far the best miss so far, and Nigeria playing with 10 men for over half the game, it has been very entertaining. Congrats to Greece as well with their first ever win at a World Cup finals with a 2-1 scoreline. Here's hoping that Mexico v France will end the day with an exclamation point. 

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We all know that yesterdays Spain v Switzerland match was the shocker of the tournament so far. I still can't believe Spain didn't equalize or more and neither can Iker Casillas's main squeeze, reporter Sara Carbonero. After the game she came up to him on live T.V. and blasted him with this. 

"How did you muck that up?"

Iker didn't even make eye contact and gave this answer.

 "I don't know what to say. I don't know if this defeat will have consequences. The dressing room is fed-up."

He then proceeded to walk away. Dude, Iker, you just lost 1-0 to Switzerland, a team people all over the world thought you would carve up, and to top it off, your lady hits you with that zinger. Keep your head up buddy, just remember, your Iker-freaking-Casillas.

Here is the whole interview, it is longer than I read and I can't understand any of it, but I'm guessing the last question is the crucial one.

Story courtesy of Yahoo.com

Bonus! Premier League Fixtures Released

A little added bonus to all the footy being played, the Premiership released their fixtures for the upcoming season! Here are some notable opening weekend matches. 

Chelsea are opening up with promoted West Brom at Stamford Bridge, I'm sure there were a few smiles coming from the board room with that draw. I shouldn't speak so fast though since newly promoted sides usually come out guns-a-blazin'. 

Man U are going up against Newcastle at Old Trafford, that should be a great match. 

The headliner of the weekend goes to Liverpool v. Arsenal at Anfield. You gotta love a big clash of heavyweights right off the bat. 

Here is the complete list of fixtures, club by club, courtesy of premierleague.com. 

Spain Shocker and FIFA/Security Cracking Down On Fans

Switzerland pulls off the first big upset of this summers World Cup. It only took until the last game in the last group. They managed to hold out the full 90 + 5 minutes to beat Spain 1-0. Credit to a stubborn Switzerland back line and an incredible performance from keeper Benaglio. The break for Switzerland came in the 52nd minute when Fernandes slotted the ball home after a melee in front of the net. Iker Casillas looked like he was running in water trying to get back after his slide tackle failed. I thought Spain was going to level before the game ended. The pressure was mostly non-stop and with their creativity and attacking prowess, I didn't think the Swiss had a chance to hold the lead. What a great game. Bad news for Spain though, a team who lost their first game in a World Cup have never actually won the World Cup, so the odds are against them now. You can look for the odds in Vegas to change shortly. 

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During the Netherlands v  Denmark match at Soccer City stadium, 36 hot Dutch supporters were escorted out of the stadium. What the hell is security thinking? Don't know appreciate what is happening? They are robbing us all of great camera shots of the crowd, especially during this slow start to the World Cup.

They were escorted out and help for questioning for several hours after being accused of "ambush marketing"which is illegal in South Africa. It was thought they were advertising for a Bavaria beer company. Very sad.

This isn't the only case, but this one has some good intent to it.

BBC News reports that 17 Argentina fans were deported under suspicion of being "troublemakers". Before the tournament Argentina gave South African authorities a list of 800 'hooligans' and all 17 of the deported were on that list. There was a raid in Pretoria where 165 fans were staying.

"During the raid, 17 of the 165 fans present were identified as being persons whom the police consider to be undesirable as spectators at matches," a police statement said.

"These people have been observed at two matches trying to enter the stadiums without tickets," the statement continued.

"They have also behaved in a disorderly fashion on a number of occasions, roughing other fans up and generally causing trouble."

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Thousands protest against FIFA. - Dirty Tackle -

Algeria hoping Green will still be manning the goal when the play England. - Daily Mirror -

Diego Forland 'obsessed' with social networking. - The Sun -

Man City willing to offer Vidic $200,000 pounds a week. - Goal.com - Really Man City? Why?

NSC Minnesota Stars set to play Chicago Fire on June 20th at the NSC in Blaine, MN. - NSC Stars -

World Cup = lack of productivity in the workplace. - mlsinsider -

P. Diddy Crystal Palace Takeover?

Hip-Hop mogul P. Diddy is rumored to buyout Crystal Palace. Could you imagine? 'Yo, welcome to Crystal Pally.' Only Bad Boy artists music would be played. All players and staff would decked out in Sean John. There would be nights where the first 1,000 fans would get a pair of aviator sunglasses. Would fans be able to buy a pint of Cristal during halftime? Also, you can't forget the possibility of a new "Making the Band" contest between players and staff. So, is Puffy going to drop a stack or two and ice out Selhurst Park and change Crystal Palace to just, Palace?

According to Rosie Swash of The Guardian, Diddy "almost" bought the club. Here is what he had to say.

"There was somebody that had looked at it [for me] but ... it just wasn't the right business move at the time," the 40-year-old rapper and entrepreneur told the BBC.

He explained: "I'm always looking into different business ventures and it's definitely one of my dreams to be part of a sports franchise, especially a football team."

He didn't state the exact reason he didn't buy the club. Perhaps it was because it's been in administration twice, once in 1998 and 2010. Hopes aren't completely shattered yet though Palace fans, he did say he would like to own a football club in the future\, hopefully not an American football club.

"If the situation comes my way and it's appealing, we can make the splash and, most importantly, build the right team and win … I'm into winning and if it's the right situation then I'm open to it."

It's not like he doesn't have the cash. Sean John is worth $100 million annually, he has Bad Boy Records, and a personal fortune of $30 million. Straight cash homie.

Jong Tae-Se's World Cup Predictions Up In Smoke

Before the World Cup started Jong Tae-se of North Korea stated he would score a goal in every game he plays AND that he guaranteed a win against Brazil. Well, Jong Tae-se was quickly brought back down to earth after Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Brazil. He realized that scoring a goal not only against Brazil, but while those damn vuvuzelas are blowing, is more difficult than he thought. Near the end of the game he pretty much took a shot whenever he had open space, frantically trying to get in the back of the net. Sorry buddy, I hope Kim Jong Il isn't too harsh. 

Besides his tall orders, North Korea put up a great fight against Brazil. They were quick, organized, tactical, and when they were able to get possession of the ball (37% total for the match), they managed to develop situations that gave them a fighting chance. Ji Yun-nam had a great first touch to get himself into open space in the 89th minute to give North Korea their only goal of the match. That goal did take Brazil by surprise and they were on their heels for about a minute or so before they managed to get control during the latter part of injury time. Maicon had a ridiculous goal that at an almost impossible angle to give Brazil the lead. Shortly after, Robinho sent in a wonderful ball to Elano who slotted it home to make it 2-0.

Great game to call it a day, excited to see Spain do some work tomorrow.  

U.S. Keeper Tim Howard = Good Samaritan

Tim Howard was awarding $50,000 from the Pepsi Refresh Project that rewards people for great ideas for help making the world a better place. The money will go to the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome. He had competing ideas with fellow teammates Clint Dempsey and Stuart Holden. Clint and Stu don't go home empty handed though, they each received $5,000 for their ideas. Everyone's a winner!! Nice work guys, people helping people never gets old.

Beckenbauer Blasts English, Favors Germany

BBC Sport reports Franz Beckenbauer is apparently uber upset with England’s style of play against the USA. Instead of moving forward with quality play that is always expected of England he says they are in reverse.

"It looked to me as if the English have gone backwards into the bad old days of kick and rush."

He wasn’t shy to talk about Germany’s drubbing of Australia on Sunday either and had a strong, but formidable statement for the rest of the teams.

"We're going to blow you all away" 

His theory for England’s lack of flare is that they do not have enough players in their domestic league and because they didn’t get enough time with the Jubulani ball. England do in fact have a disadvantage with that ball. France, Germany, and Argentina have been using the ball in domestic play since February. You think England would be on that, not sure what was going through the minds of the executives. 

Surely he would love to see England get that two spot in group C so he sit back and enjoy that pint.

Weekend Roundup & World Cup Fun!

I'm sure you've already seen this picture from the New York Post after the USA v Eng-ger-land match.

People have been really fired up about this, it almost single handedly shut down Twitter. People were outraged, calling Americans stupid, saying that we didn't win the battle of Bunker Hill, (which is true), and radio personalities not understanding and hating the concept of a 'tie'. PGA Tour pro Ian Poulter had this to say from his twitter account. 

IanJamesPoulter Come on American how stupid are you, really. Britain you played England for Christ sake.

I admit, when I first saw the headline, I laughed and thought the New York Post was off their rocker a bit, but then I came across this story written by tumbler. It brings up a piece of our own history during a football game between Yale and Harvard that ended in a 26-26 tie. Yale was the heavy favorite, just like England, and Harvard managed a tie which ruined Yale's perfect season run, thus the tie felt very much like a win. So the New York Post used their wit and got the better of a lot of people Sunday morning.

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I am pretty much numb to the sound of the vuvuzela by now. Don't get me wrong, I still hear it, and my ears are still bleeding, by "numb" I mean it drains all of my energy and renders me useless. But this hasn't stopped hip-hop icon Kayne West from getting his hands on one.

Countdown to the day the self proclaimed musical genius is pumping the sweet sound in one of his new tracks. "I can't hear my vuvu....yo, turn that vuvu up dog."

Here is Stu Holden of USA giving us a tour of the teams sweet game room.




If your looking for a good book on footy, I suggest this one by Franklin Foer.

Awesome article to show your friends who don't like soccer and don't understand draws. - Daves Football Blog -

Ghana is the clear winner for the best banner so far in the World Cup. - From A Left Wing -

Take a look at the new Portland Timbers logo. - Pitch Invasion -

Rooney peeing on a golf course. - Dirty Tackle -

Clint Dempsey's name looks a little different on ESPN - Deadspin -

Andres Iniesta, another vuvuzela victim. - Dirty Tackle -

Weezer's Audition for the Next Jock Jams..Unofficial World Cup Song

While your waiting for team USA to march into the second Revolutionary War, you can get pumped up by Weezer's unofficial World Cup song "Represent". Enjoy.

The Wait Is Over

After years of qualifying, months since the draw in December, and for what felt like months instead of weeks of build up...I will finally be sung to sleep by the sound of vuvuzelas. Here's to a great World Cup and nothing but happy days until July 11th!

England Fans Do It Right

Stories are popping up all over about England fans decorating their houses with everything Eng-ger-land. The BBC had a great story about a guy who set grass down in his living room. This picture above is from the Daily Mail. Two kids pained their house in a giant England flag with Mom and Dad not having a clue what was going on. Brothers Orrin and Tyler had this to say;

Orrin, a carpenter, insists he wants it to stay like that forever if the team win the tournament, but perhaps he is pushing his luck too far. 

He said: 'I'd been joking about doing it with my brother-in-law who also has a white house on the same road.

'We did it half to wind Mum and Andy up, and half to surprise them but they ended up liking it.'  

He added: 'We used 2.5 litres of Dulux but had to get it mixed especially at B&Q for 20 pounds because you can't buy a bright red pillarbox masonry paint.

'It took us two and a half hours to do and I was using my spirit level and drawing chalk lines to make sure we got it straight.

'It was well worth it though because I think it looks good. We just wanted to get behind the lads.' 

I can't say I have ever seen a house and or garage painted in US colors for any sporting event. I have seen a few Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers paint jobs though. So what did Mom and Dad think when they first caught glimpse of this masterpiece?

'It was when we were driving back from the airport we went underneath the motorway bridge and I just saw this flash of red on the house.

'Tyler was standing outside waiting to see our reaction. We were gobsmacked, and I just couldn't stop laughing.

'They have not done anything like this before but then we've never let them stay here before when we've been away.

'It could have been a lot worse - they could have had a wild party and wrecked the place.

'They've just done such a good job with it, and people keep asking me if it is real, or if we got professionals in to do it.

'It's definitely being talked about. We'll keep the flag up until England go out of the World Cup so hopefully it'll be like this for a long time.' 

Priceless. Here is one picture from the BBC Story, courtesy of BBC.

Meet Lady, My Dog...and Germany Supporter

This is my dog Lady. She is half German Shepherd and a die hard fan of the German national team. Her favorite player is Bastian Schweinsteiger but she also admires the goal scoring prowess of Miroslav Klose. She is hoping for Germany to redeem themselves after World Cup 2006 and Euro 2008 where they lost to Spain in the final. She wasn't even alive during that period, but it burns deep in her instincts.

Where she got those flags...I have no idea. Her excitement for the tournament has been escalating during the past couple weeks. When I tell her to grab me a brew, the only beer she will fetch are German imports. At night I get woken up from her barking and running around while Rommstein and David Hasselhoff are playing on my computer....why I have Hasselhoff on my computer I don't know, his jacket littered with light bulbs is irresistible. Also, getting her to go on walks without lederhosen is difficult. During the next month, look for local meat markets and Auntie Anne's to be running low on weisswurst and pretzels.

Prost!

New Adidas World Cup Ad "The Quest"

Sit back and enjoy as Zidane observes the superstars of this summers World Cup dressed like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

Gamblers go to Cape Vultures to Predict World Cup Winners

A story from Metro in the UK says some gamblers are trying to outsmart the bookies during this summer's World Cup. Apparently the brain of this bird has magical powers that help predict match results. Due to that legend, there has been a rise in poached cape vultures leading up to the World Cup. After the bird is killed, the brains are dried and smoked.

"So Bob, who is going to make it out of the group of death?" Bob replies, "Well Mitch, let me get my pipe and burn down some vulture brains and I'll get back to you."

Here are current odds for the outright winner of the World Cup as of 6/9/2010 from Bodog.com

Spain - 4/1
Brazil - 4/1
England - 8/1
Argentina - 6/1
Italy - 14/1
Germany 16/1
Netherlands - 9/1
France - 20/1
Ivory Coast - 50/1
Portugal - 20/1
USA - 50/1
Chile - 40/1
Serbia - 66/1
Ghana - 66/1
Paraguay - 80/1
Mexico - 66/1
Cameroon - 100/1
South Africa - 150/1
Nigeria - 100/1
Uruguay - 125/1
Denmark - 150/1
Australia - 150/1
Greece - 150/1
Switzerland - 200/1
Slovenia - 200/1
Slovakia - 250/1
Japan - 300/1
Algeria - 500/1
South Korea - 300/1
Honduras - 1000/1
New Zealand - 2000/1
North Korea - 2000/1

I'm To Excited to Sleep!!!

So I was deprived of any postings yesterday since blogger was down for the portion of the day I had internet access. What proceeds is a gambit of footy awesomeness.

New Liverpool FC Away Kit Leaked!

This is courtesy of Empire of the Kop. I like it, but not seeing Carlsberg will take some getting used to.

Pepe Reina will be wearing purple.

DuNord's Bruce McGruire will be on AM1500 today at 1:40CT with Patrick Reusse. 

He will also frequent the show throughout the World Cup. Congrats Bruce! Read his blog for anything and everything football.

World Cup Casualties

Portuguese fancy footer Nani is the most recent addition to the growing list of World Cup casualties with a shoulder injury.

Drogba regenerates his right arm after successful surgery and rejoins Ivory Coast....I think I just heard that whole nation collectively breathe a sign of relief.

It seems like it's an eye for an eye scenario though....as Arjen Robben tries to be too cute and attempts a meaningless back heel, that was going to nobody anyways....video below. He did state that there is a small tear in his left hamstring but is hoping intense physiotherapy will revive him.




Studs Up Football Club is Now Open

Chris Toy from Studs Up officially graced us with a great line of Football apparel...check it out here.

Man City are paving the way for this summers spending spree. They opted out the contracts of Benjani, Martin Petrov, and Slyvinho. It's going to be like Supermarket Sweet when after the World Cup.

Wayne Rooney Part Deux?

North Korea's "Wayne Ronney", Jong Tae-se has been making pretty stiff promises. From Reuters.

"I will keep my promise of scoring one goal per game," Jong, who scored both goals in his country's 2-2 draw with Greece in a recent warm-up game, told South Korea's Chosun Ilbo.

"In our group it will be Brazil and North Korea who will advance."

He also thinks pretty highly of Korea DPR's chances against Brazil. Eurosport

"The game will be very difficult for us but we will win against Brazil," Jong said, standing with his shoulders back and his chest puffed out proudly.

"Everybody thinks we can't win that game, but we have brave hearts, strong spirits and that can help us make a miracle."

"North Korea is a mystery, and nobody knows about North Korea," he added. "So I want to change the image of North Korea. Politics and sports is different so we want to change North Korea's image."

I think the odds of that happening...Jong me boy...is only if Kim Jong Il is refing the match.

Michael Strahan Attempts Bicycle Kick and gets Verball Abused by a Little Kid

Here is Sports Authority's ad with Michael Strahan and Taylor Twellman.




New to MLS = New Logo

MLS Insider has a preview of the new look Vancouver Whitecaps logo that will lead them into the 2011 season. Take a look.

Everton FC unveiled their new jerseys and here is a video of Jack Rodwell looking like he was forced to put it on. I can only imagine the chants throughout Anfield when the Toffee's come in. Video courtesy of the Liverpool Echo.

The great people at Dirty Tackle have a great article on some celebrities (Zac Efron) beginning to show their World Cup ignorance. This will only get better throughout the month.

Are you going to be eating at a restaurant and can't celebrate as much as you would like while watching the game? Do you live with roommates that aren't as passionate as you are about football? Well while your watching the World Cup in the wee hours of the morning...I have the shirt just for you.

Less than 3 days until awesomeness unfolds across the planet. I have World Cup fever and the only prescription is Friday!

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

One by one there are key players dropping out of the world's most prestigious tournament. What is happening? Is it voodoo? Is someone orchestrating the takedown of captains?

I don't know what France's deal is. Raymond Domenech just needs to keep his players from leaving camp. If I were managing them, they would be required to wear full body pads at all times. They have had a few near casualties. - Gallas (telegraph) & Anelka (Eurosport) -

Germany's Michael Ballack was taken out by a poor challenge by Ghana's Kevin Prince-Boateng in the FA Cup Final. 

Just yesterday Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand were ruled out. Drogba with a fractured arm off a horrible challenge during a friendly against Japan (see below). I didn't know Liu Kang was in there starting 11.

Rio suffered his with a knee ligament injury in training. Tottenham's Michael Dawson got the call up to replace him. Fabio Capello now thinks England are cursed. - BBC Sport -

Now we aren't done yet, there is more news this morning of Nigeria's John Mikel Obi not recovering from minor knee surgery he had in May. He stated he did not want to ruin his career because he isn't fully fit.

I feel awful for Ivory Coast. I was really looking forward to watching them help Brazil not get out of the group stages. His monster presence will be greatly missed.

On Tuesday, U.S. striker Jozy Altidore sprained his ankle during training. Thats the last thing the U.S. needs right now.

Instead of field actual teams for the pre-World Cup exhibitions, maybe managers should have their teams play FIFA on PS3 network. Come on now guys...less than a week, play nice. 

Unforgettable Week for Liverpool FC...in a Bad Way

Liverpool are in desperate times right now. Tom Hicks and George Gillette are crumbling this club from the inside out and the supporters are at wits end. This is tough to watch, being Liverpool is above and beyond my favorite club (and many others around the world). Gillette and Hicks needed to find a buyer yesterday...they need to leave now.

Rafa had to shorten his holiday in Sardinia, located in the mediterranean and travel back to Liverpool to negotiate a deal to leave the club. Well that deal turned out to be around the 3-6 million pound mark which is well short of the 16 million in his contract. The news broke as England's team flew out to South Africa. Here is Rafa's statement from Liverpool's official website

Rafael Benitez said: "It is very sad for me to announce that I will no longer be manager of Liverpool FC. I would like to thank all of the staff and players for their efforts. 

"I'll always keep in my heart the good times I've had here, the strong and loyal support of the fans in the tough times and the love from Liverpool. I have no words to thank you enough for all these years and I am very proud to say that I was your manager.

"Thank you so much once more and always remember: You'll never walk alone." 

Rafa is poised to sign with Inter any day now. - Telegraph -

Coincidence? Does this mean that Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano, Benayoun, etc. are going to follow? What a mess. News is that Fulham boss Roy Hodgson could take his spot as well as Mark Hughes, Sven-Goran Eriksson, and Louis van Gaal. I don't know who would want to climb into that hot seat. Upper management in disarray and a rumored 5 million to spend in the transfer market.

When the news broke, 500 supporters marched and protested around Anfield showing their distaste for the American Owners. Here is a picture from Straitstimes showing fans burning the American Flag.

I saw this and was deeply disappointed. I don't care what the issue is, flag burning is not acceptable. It is a symbol of pride and should be respected everywhere. I know it was directed toward Gillette and Hicks but there are other means of protest. Here is another great article with some pictures from EPLtalk. This sends a very strong message to the owners but it also went too far. Liverpool have thousands of fans in the United States and the act of this minority group of fans shows compete disrespect to our country. The US as a whole is not bringing your club down, Hicks and Gillette are and as an American, I want to see them sell and leave just as bad as you do. 

I hope the coming months bring brighter days to Liverpool. It would be horrible to see them go down the patch of Newcastle and Leeds, unfortunately it's looking more and more like that every day.